BLANCA – A pair of teams with the Lady Panther mascot met Tuesday as the Sierra Grande High School girls basketball team defeated John Mall 68-18 at the SGHS gym.

Mariana Loya opened the scoring as she made one of two from the free throw line. She then scored two straight layups to increase the Sierra Grande lead to 5-0.

Alexia Gonzales made two free throws for a 7-0 advantage. Julie Paino put John Mall on the scoreboard with a layup, but Sierra Grande went on a 10-0 run with Loya scoring six of the points. Lauren Ruiz made a 3-point basket to bring John Mall within 17-5 at the end of the first quarter.

Laila Ortega began the second quarter scoring with a jumper, and Ahlea Garcia follow with two free throws. Courtney Dotter made a layup and a free throw for John Mall’s first points of the period, but that would be the team’s only points of the quarter as Sierra Grande score the final 18 points to take a 39-8 advantage at halftime.

Aracely Minchaca  scored two 3-pointers, and Ahlea Garcia scored one as Sierra Grande outscored John Mall 19-4 in the third quarter to extend its lead to 58-12.

The fourth quarter was played under a running clock with Sierra Grande outscoring John Mall 10-6 to take the 68-18 victory.

Loya led all scorers as she outscored John Mall by herself with 23 points. Minchaca was next for Sierra Grande with 10 points.

Paino was John Mall’s top scorer with seven points.

Sierra Grande (5-5) will travel to Weston on Thursday to face Primero. It will host Creede on Friday and travel to Antonito on Saturday.

Sierra Grande 68, John Mall 18

John Mall – Perrino 0 0-0 0, Dotter 1 1-1 3, Romero 1 0-0 3, Ruiz 2 0-0 5, Martinez 0 0-0 0, Patel 0 0-0 0, Paino 3 1-2 7, Padilla 0 0-0 0. Total 7 2-3 18.

3-point goals Paino 1, Ruiz 1. Total 2.

Sierra Grande – Quezada 2 1-2 6, Gonzalez 1 2-2 4, Minchaca 4 0-0 10, Ah. Garcia 2 2-2 7, Loya 11 1-2 23, Al. Garcia 0 0-0 0, Ortega 4 0-0 8, Velasquez 2 0-0 4, Molina 3 0-0 6, Jones 0 0-0 0. Total 29 6-8 68.

3-point goals – Minchaca 2, Ah. Garcia 1, Quezada 1. Total 4.

John Mall 5 3 4 6 – 18

Sierra Grande 17 22 19 10 – 68

Fouls – John Mall 10, Sierra Grande 12.